Pakistani, Afghan defence officials to hold key security talks

Major General Afzal Aman, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Afghan National Army, will lead a six-member delegation in talks with senior Pakistani defence officials.

Pakistani DGMO will lead Pakistani delegation in the talks seen as very important at a time when Pakistan is seeking Afghanistan cooperation to boost security on the border to stop fleeing militants from crossing the border.

Security officials will hold a follow up discussions on the issues discussed during the last week visit to Islamabad by President Hamid Karzai’s top security adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta’s to “enhance their security coordination,” sources said.

Spanta also delivered a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from President Karzai, containing seven conditions for cooperation in the North Waziristan operation including a halt to the alleged “rockets and artillery fire” into Afghanistan.

Despite recent tension over the alleged cross-border incursions both countries have kept on high level contacts to enhance security cooperation.

Last week the two sides had agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Security aimed at focusing on strengthening bilateral security cooperation. The joint working group is co-chaired by the Pakistan Foreign Secretary and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister and also comprising representatives of relevant security institutions.

A Foreign ministry official told reporters in Islamabad on Wednesday that Pakistan will take up the issue of the Pakistani Taliban hideouts on the other side of the border in Thursday talks.

The military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa on Tuesday reiterated demand of the Afghan government to dismantle the “sanctuaries of the Pakistani Taliban leadership” on its side of the border for the success of the ongoing major offensive in North Waziristan tribal region.

He had also urged the Afghan forces either eliminate or handover the Pakistani Taliban chief, Maulvi Fazalullah, who controls his fighters in Pakistan from across the border.

He said Pakistani government has taken up the issue of Fazalullah and the presence of other TTP leaders with Afghan officials through diplomatic and military level.

Kabul also claims that Afghan Taliban make plans in Pakistan and Karzai insisted publicly on a number of occasions that Taliban reclusive leader Mullah Omar also lives in Quetta, the claim denied by Pakistan.